Barbecue grills are very widely used today. Presently, one of the most popular grills is manufactured by the Assignee of the present invention WEBER-STEPHEN PRODUCTS COMPANY. This barbecue grill is a kettle-type grill and consists of a generally semispherical bottom bowl that has a circular open top with a cooking grate slightly below the upper rim of the bowl. A generally semiellipsoid top cover can be placed on the bottom bowl. Also, the bowl is supported on a tripod leg arrangement.
Barbecue grills that are designed for burning charcoal as a fuel have a charcoal grate for supporting the charcoal below the cooking surface. Both the bowl and cover have vent openings to provide the necessary oxygen for combustion of the charcoal while the cover is closed.
One type of barbecue kettle that has received very favorable acceptance by consumers is disclosed in U.S. Re. Pat. No. 33,091. U.S. Re. Pat. No. 33,091 is owned by the Assignee of the present invention and sold under the trademark ONE-TOUCH.RTM. GRILL.
In use, an individual places food items to be cooked on the cooking grate above hot charcoal. Many food items cooked on a grill can be adequately cooked on a grate. However, an individual may prefer to cook some food items on a griddle rather than on a grate. For example, pancakes, bacon, eggs, vegetables, potato hash browns and grilled cheese sandwiches are typically cooked on a griddle. Such food items may not be suitable for cooking on a cooking grate or the items may even fall through the cooking grate.
Therefore, a need exists to improve barbecue grills, and more specifically, cooking grates. There is a need to provide easier barbecue cooking of some food items and flexibility to barbecue cook a variety of food items. The present invention satisfies this need. The present invention improves barbecue grills by providing a cooking grate assembly that has a removable and interchangeable cooking insert. The cooking insert can be utilized in gas barbecue grills, such as the Assignee's GENESIS.RTM. gas grill, in addition to charcoal grills.
Other advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent after reading this disclosure and reviewing the accompanying drawings.